Aster plant named ‘BKATRPU’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘BKATRPU’, characterized by its broadly upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; and large daisy-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Aster novi-belgii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKATRPU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Asterplant, botanically known as Aster novi-belgii and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘BKATRPU’.

The new Aster plant is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new freely-branching container-typeAster plants with uniform plant habit and attractive inflorescencecoloration.

The new Aster plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2007 inMaasdijk, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Asternovi-belgii identified as code number 1001087, not patented, as thefemale, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Aster novi-belgii,as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Maasdijk,The Netherlands in July, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster plant by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Maasdijk, The Netherlands in November, 2008.Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features ofthis new Aster plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Aster plant have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘BKATRPU’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘BKATRPU’ as a new and distinct Aster plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray        florets.

Plants of the new Aster differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Aster are narrower than leaves of        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Aster flower have larger inflorescences        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Aster and the female parent selection        differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent        selection have light purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of Aster ‘CrownFortuna’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inMaasdijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Aster differed from plantsof ‘Crown Fortuna’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aster were more uniformly mounded than        plants of ‘Crown Fortuna’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Aster were narrower than leaves        of plants of ‘Crown Fortuna’.    -   3. Plants of the new Aster and ‘Crown Fortuna’ differed in ray        floret color as plants of ‘Crown Fortuna’ have pinkish        purple-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Aster plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possibleto obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Aster plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘BKATRPU’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet are close-up views of the upper andlower surfaces of typical leaves and typical inflorescences of‘BKATRPU’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown during the late summer in 15-cmcontainers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlandsand grown under environmental conditions and cultural practices whichapproximate those generally used in commercial container Asterproduction. During the production of the plants, day and nighttemperatures ranged from 18° C. to 19° C. Plants were pinched 24 daysafter planting and were eleven weeks old when the photographs and thedescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aster novi-belgii ‘BKATRPU’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Aster            novi-belgii identified as code number 1001087, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Aster            novi-belgii, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at            temperatures of about 19° to 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 to 16 days at            temperatures of about 19° to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures of about 19° C. to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About three to            four weeks at temperatures of about 19° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant shape and habit.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Aster;            broadly upright with lateral branches somewhat outwardly            spreading; inverted triangle with uniformly mounded crown.        -   Branching habit.—Strong and freely branching growth habit            with about six lateral branches per plant; pinching enhances            lateral branch development.        -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 20 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 9.3 cm. Diameter: About            1.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm. Strength: Strong.            Angle: Upright to about 35° from vertical. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Between 137A and N137B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 5.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate.        -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.        -   Base.—Cordate, amplexicaul.        -   Margin.—Finely serrate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Glabrous; slightly            rugose.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between N137A            and 147A; venation, darker than between N137A and 147A.            Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to N137B;            venation, close to 146A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with narrowly            oblanceolate-shaped ray floret; inflorescences borne            uniformly on terminals above and beyond the foliar plane;            disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Under natural conditions, plants            flower from midsummer into the autumn in The Netherlands;            plants begin to flower about five weeks after planting.        -   Inflorescence longevity of the plant.—Inflorescences            maintain good substance and color for about two weeks;            inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with            about 30 inflorescences developing per plant.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Shape: Broadly ovate. Color: Close to 157C; towards the            apex, close to 85C; towards the base, close to 143A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.1 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.3 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.4 cm. Receptacle            height: About 1 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm.            Receptacle color: Close to 145C.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            longitudinally ribbed. Orientation: Initially upright, then            about 70° from vertical. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 36 arranged in about two whorls. Color:            When opening, upper surface: Between 86A and N88A. When            opening, lower surface: Close to N88B. Fully opened, upper            surface: Between 86A and N88A; color becoming closer to N87A            to N87B with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close            to N88A; color becoming closer to N87C with development.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 50. Length:            About 6.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Tubular,            elongated; apices, acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, when opening and fully opened,            inner and outer surfaces: Close to 155A.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 60            arranged in about four whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width:            About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base:            Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Color, lower surface: Close to 143B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 mm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:            Upright to about 40° from vertical. Strength: Strong,            flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Quantity of stamens per floret: Five. Filament length:            About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther shape:            Obovate. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther color: Close to            13C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 22A.            Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Quantity of            pistils per floret: One. Pistil length: About 4.5 mm. Stigma            shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 150D. Style length:            About 3.5 mm. Style color: Close to 150D. Ovary color: Close            to 145A.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Aster.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Asters has not been observed on plants of the new Aster.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures ranging    from 8° C. to about 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘BKATRPU’ asillustrated and described.